


Death Eater

by olderwiserfool



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Death Eater - Freeform, Draco Malfoy - Freeform, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Harry Potter - Freeform, Harry Potter Imagine, Lemon, Love, Sex, Smut, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Underage Smoking, death eater imagine, draco malfoy imagine, draco malfoy x reader - Freeform, olderwiserfool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-04 07:08:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10985946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olderwiserfool/pseuds/olderwiserfool
Summary: Mara Grimsbane transfers from Ilvermorny to Hogwarts in her 6th year in order to escape war in America, under the condition that she become a Death Eater. She helps to carry out Draco's duties in his 6th year and falls in lust along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Fumes by Eden

Mara Grimsbane looked over her shoulder as she stepped into King’s Cross Station in London, a natural frown on her lips. She came to the UK from the United States to avoid certain wizards belonging to the MACUSA who were hunting her parents for siding with dark wizards. There was absolutely no way she could return to Ilvermorny, so she was to stay with Alastair and Ginerva Pearce and their son Bram, colleagues of her parents, under the pretense that they were her aunt and uncle while her parents were in danger back in America. So Mara was to go to Hogwarts for her sixth year and to graduate from there in order to allow her parents to serve dark magic in America.  
Mara had been to Hogwarts once before, on the last day of school a few months before, where she was sorted into Slytherin house and met Professor Snape, the head of her house, so that the transition from Ilvermorny to Hogwarts would be relatively seamless.  
Mara was prepared for changes. For one, switching wizarding schools was unheard of. All Mara wanted to do was complete schooling and perhaps serve the famous dark wizard of England, Voldemort. There had been rumors of him and his deadly followers in America, but otherwise the two countries were extremely separated.  
Mara was an experiment, you could say. A trial to see whether the two ministries could work in companionship together.  
So there she was, standing at a platform in King’s Cross, looking for Ginerva Pearce who would be her guardian and escort her to Hogwarts. Her trunks were sitting behind her, along with the carrying case for her owl, named Rue.  
Finally, a woman apparated our of the steam of an oncoming train, and Mara knew it must be Ginerva. She was of medium height, deathly thin and pale, with thick white streaks running through her black hair. Her dark robes swished around her ankles. Suddenly, Mara felt quite insignificant in her black skinny jeans, dark green v-neck sweater, and high-top black converse.  
No conversation was made as Mara followed Ginerva through the streets of London. With a snap of her fingers, Mara’s luggage had disappeared, so off they went. Ginerva apparently worked in a higher-up position for the ministry of magic.  
The streets grew darker and narrower, and the electric streetlights were exchanged for gas lamps. Even in late August, this part of London was dark and dreary. Dark characters in cloaks replaced drably-dressed no-majs as they hurried from one place to another, dodging the slight drizzle. Finally, Ginerva swooshed to a stop in front of a tall rowhouse and ascended the steps to the door, where she whipped out her wand and traced a golden pattern on the door, which opened and admitted both Ginerva and Mara.  
The foyer left a bit to be desired. It was long and dimly lit, lined with portraits. It smelled damp and dusty, like the windows had never been opened. Somehow, in this creepy atmosphere, Mara felt right at home.  
Finally, Ginerva spoke in a gravelly, slow, and self-righteous voice. “Mara Grimsbane. Welcome to our home.”  
Every word she said sounded almost sarcastic, but Mara doubted the woman was trying to be funny.  
“Thank you for allowing me to stay,” She replied, shifting from foot to foot.  
“The pleasure is ours. Your room is upstairs. Meet me back here in twenty minutes. We will need to purchase some more… suitable things for you to wear at Hogwarts.”  
Without another word, Ginerva swished down the hallway and out of sight.  
Mara found her room quickly, unpacked her things, and changed out of her wet clothes into something more wizard-like. Apparently in London wizards were less concerned about blending with no-majs.  
She stored her wand in one of the many pockets of her thick, black robes and slid on a pair of oxfords. Apparently wizarding dress was more formal, also. There was nothing to be done about her dark hair, so she left it down in its natural loose waves around her shoulders.  
After meeting Ginerva downstairs, the two were off again into the rain with an approving nod from Ginerva.  
“So, Pandora has told me that you are skilled in nonverbal magic. Quite the interesting skillset. And a gifted dueller, also. I know a person who would be quite interested in your knowledge, Miss Grimsbane. First, however, I would like to see how you can handle a duel, of course, to make sure you are worthy.”  
Mara decided not to answer, but instead pulled herself up to her full height. She needed to prove herself in this new wizarding world.  
Finally, Ginerva turned into a doorway and the two witches stepped into a bustling pub. She was led down passageway after passageway, then the two appeared in the sunlight on a quiet street.  
Ginerva grumbled, shielding her eyes and ducking into the closest shop which happened to sell wizard robes. Ginerva putted around the store, buying “acceptable” wizarding clothing and robes for Hogwarts. Mara was almost pleased that the robes weren’t blue and cranberry like at Ilvermorny.  
Finally, after much shopping, Ginerva and Mara were back on the gloomy streets of London, winding back towards Ginerva’s home, which Mara learned was called 13 Winchester Place. Quite a sinister name for a sinister building.  
When the two walked in the door, they were greeted by multiple dark figures in the sitting room. Ginerva seemed to be expecting them, and ushered Mara to a chair in front of the three hooded figures.  
The first, a female, stood up and started pacing around the room. She talked in a strange and drawn-out drawl, which somehow made her seem almost sinister, especially with a halo of black curls framing her face. She paused at the side of Mara’s armchair and stroked her wand slowly along Mara’s jawline.  
“Darling, we have heard so much about you. We all expect great things from you, my dear. Now, seeing as it is our job getting you into Hogwarts, you must do your part to help us, Sweet. My name is Bellatrix, and this is my friend Fenrir,” she said, waving the wand around her halo of hair magnanimously. The way she said “friend” implied that he was not her friend at all.  
Mara pursed her lips then stared up into Bellatrix’s eyes with a charming smile. “Of course. What do I need to do?”  
Bellatrix smiled creepily, motioning for Mara to follow her out into the corridor.  
“I’m so glad you are ready to help us out dear. But, of course, we need to be sure that your skills are worth our protection,” Bellatrix drawled, starting up the staircase and sitting down a few stairs up. “This will certainly be… fun.”  
Suddenly, a green spark flew at Mara’s head from the other end of the corridor. It was obvious that someone intended for it to miss, and the next shot would be more… precise. This was a duel. And not a fair one, at that. Another spell flew at her, and she deflected it quickly. Then, spells were being shot all at once. Luckily for Mara, she had the advantage of not needing to speak her spells.  
The torment of sparks back and forth across the passage framed by Bellatrix’s shrieks and cackles only lasted a minute or so before Mara was able to disarm and Crucio her opponent. After a minute or so of torture, Mara only released her spell when Bellatrix stroked her hair off of her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Well done, my dear.”  
Before she knew it, Mara, Bellatrix, Ginerva, Fenrir, and her opponent were apparated into a different house, this one much more grand than 13 Winchester Place, but still just as ominous with green velvet curtains lining the walls and black crown moulding lining the high silver-plated ceiling. A single ornate armchair stood in front of a fireplace that reached up to the ceiling, and it was occupied by the most hideous thing Mara had ever seen. It was obviously human, but his appearance suggested that he couldn’t possibly be alive. His facial features were flat, and she could see the blue and purple veins and bones through his translucent skin. He practically radiated evil power.  
His voice rang out over the room as the doors opened and admitted two men with stark white hair, one much younger and considerably more handsome than the other. “Welcome, my guests, to the home of the esteemed Malfoy family. So nice of you to join us. Of course, always a joy to be in your presence, Bram Pearce. You will make a fabulous Death Eater. And you, Miss Grimsbane. How… interesting to have an American in our midst. I hope she cleared our expectations, Bellatrix?”  
“Yes, my Lord, by far.” The boy she duelled, named Bram, was obviously still recovering from her cruciatus curse.  
Voldemort.  
“Now, I believe that it is time to complete the ceremony that binds you to me forever. The ceremony that proves your loyalty. Not that you exactly have a choice at this point, however.” Voldemort stopped to laugh coldly. “Now who would like to be the first to join our family?”  
When nobody moved, Voldemort said, “Why don’t our three candidates step forward?”  
The three of them were dragged painfully to the center of the room with an obviously powerful spell. Mara was surrounded with Voldemort in front, Draco Malfoy and Bram standing closely at her sides, and a growing group of Voldemort’s followers behind. Mara never liked being in uncomfortable situations where she wasn’t in control, but she obviously couldn’t move at that point.  
Voldemort came closer, examining the three standing side-by-side. Mara never would have guessed that protection in the UK would cost her her loyalty to an obviously powerful dark wizard.  
Without warning, Voldemort yanked up Draco’s left-hand sleeve and placed his wand on the pale skin. Draco emitted a hiss of pain as a writhing skull with a snake coming from the mouth appeared under his skin. When Voldemort ceremoniously released his wand, Draco fell to his knees, holding his arm to his chest.  
“Thank you, My Lord,” Draco said quietly. He was obviously in pain, and was barely trying to hide it. There were a few jeers from the crowd behind them as Draco slowly stood up and made his way to the back of the group. Mara narrowed her eyes. Wasn’t he supposed to belong to one of the most powerful wizarding families?  
Mara knew that she was next and had steeled herself for the pain. Surprisingly, Voldemort paused in front of her and gracefully held out his hand for her left arm with a jeer on his ugly face. Mara pulled up her sleeve and placed her hand in his. It was scaly and cold, barely alive.  
“I hope that we can trust you, Miss Grimsbane. For your sake, of course,” He hissed in her ear as he pressed the wand to her skin.  
Mara felt no pain, but welcomed the sting that writhed just under her skin. It was moving. It was alive. Mara would have a lot of questions for whoever she felt she could trust in this slimy group.  
Mara strode back next to Draco, not missing a few approving glances from the dark wizards. Draco was obviously still recovering, but he held something like respect in his eyes when they locked gazes.  
They both turned back to the front of the room to see Bram’s locked jaw as he accepted Voldemort’s wand.  
“It’s called a dark mark. And now, you’re a Death Eater,” Draco hissed in her ear, his tone condescending.  
Mara nodded and assumed he meant the writhing tattoo on her arm. It had almost stopped moving until she started to think about it again. And Death Eater. That sounded a bit cooler than she felt in the moment. Another wizard had basically branded a room of wizards as his.  
The two were startled when Voldemort’s steely voice rang out over the low din.  
“Now that we have three new members, I invite all of you into the dining hall for a feast… and we have a special guest that just joined us from the Ministry of Magic. I hope you can give the blood traitor a proper welcome,” Voldemort said, sneering. His tone was anything but welcoming.  
As the Death Eaters started to file out of the room, obviously excited for what awaited them in the dining hall, Voldemort’s voice hissed again, now from the gilded chair.  
“All of you, of course, except for our three new Death Eaters.”  
Draco and Mara were again dragged to the front of the room next to Bram with a powerful spell from Voldemort. At the same time, the doors banged shut behind the last Death Eaters.  
Voldemort lounged in his chair, stroking his chin with long, skinny fingers. “Your first task as my followers is very important and must be accomplished for our cause. If not, I shall warn you now, the penalty is death. If you decide not to do this, the penalty is death. If you tell anyone about this plan, the penalty is death. I truly hope that three of you understand. I need for you to kill Dumbledore by the end of the school year.”  
Bram and Draco stiffened on either side of Mara, but she was only confused.  
“Now, Miss Grimsbane, I expect that Draco and Bram will fill you in on the importance of your task. I expect that you will not disappoint me,” Voldemort’s tone was snide and condescending. He knew the power he had over the three, and they knew the importance that they kill this person.  
With that, the three were dismissed. Mara followed the two boys into the dining hall, where they took three empty seats toward the middle of the table. Suddenly, her gaze was called upwards to a person hanging suspended above the table, surrounded in a hazy green light. It was an obviously important wizard, his robes were gold-lined. The other Death Eaters were taking turns throwing curses at him and enjoyed watching him squirm. Draco, who was seated on her left side now, hissed in her ear.  
“That’s head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Perkins is his name. Deserves what he’s got coming to him. We Death Eaters don’t tolerate mudbloods- muggle borns.”  
Mara was confused for a second before she realized that no-majs were called muggles in the UK. Mara was raised with the same view from her parents, so she felt no remorse when she looked up at the writhing figure.  
Suddenly, Voldemort spoke once again. “Miss Grimsbane, since you are our guest of honor tonight, we grant you the privilege of killing our lovely guest.”  
A few Death Eaters jeered at her while others protested in disappointment. Perkins groaned, trying to plead for mercy, but before he could utter a word Mara’s wand was pointed at the figure and a green curse shot from her wand. He fell to the table with a bang.  
Bellatrix, who was seated at her right hand, smiled creepily while dragging her wand creepily along Mara’s jawbone again and hissed,”Well done, my dear. We were right in choosing you to be one of us.”  
It wasn’t that Mara didn’t feel bad that she had killed someone- it was her first time- but she didn’t have any emotional connection to the wizard and needed to protect her life before anyone else’s.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Mask Off by Future

After dinner, which Mara had to admit was less than great, Mara apparated back to the rowhouse with Bellatrix, Ginerva, Bram, and Ginerva’s husband Alastair. Both Ginerva and Alastair seemed a bit too excited about the fact that they had the favorite new Death Eater staying at their house, but Bram obviously didn’t share in their approval. First, Mara humiliated him in a duel, then she showed no sign of pain when she received the Dark Mark, and finally she was chosen to kill the blood traitor and did it without remorse.   
As soon as they entered the musty house, Alastair and Bram disappeared, leaving the three witches in the parlor alone.   
“The Dark Lord has confided in us about your task, Mara, and he wants us to inform you about your new situation,” Bellatrix drawls, opting to stand before the fireplace rather than sit like Mara and Ginerva.   
“Yes. Dumbledore is not only the headmaster of Hogwarts, but he is highly… respected by the wizarding community. He is called the most powerful wizard of our time. And he needs to be out of the way if we are going to win this impending war,” Ginerva said before snapping her fingers for tea, which appeared a few seconds later, brought in by a house elf. Bellatrix helped herself first, but Mara refused her offered cup.   
“Yes, but our dear Dumbledore is growing old,” Bellatrix stops to feign a pout before striding over to stroke Mara’s cheek with a long black nail- a habit that Mara was beginning to resent. “So now is the best time to be rid of him.”   
“And the Dark Lord believes that you, my son, and Bellatrix’s nephew are the best candidates. Of course, it is always best to get the job done quickly, but the three of you will need to find time to discuss the best method,” Ginerva adds.   
“Miss Grimsbane, your job as the Dark Lord’s new favorite is to get on everyone’s good side- become the golden girl of Hogwarts. And do whatever you need to achieve that status. Most importantly, make friends with Dumbledore, get him to trust you. Then, when the three of you feel the time is right, finish the job,” Bellatrix says, ending with a loud cackle, her face framed evilly by a greenish halo of dark curls. She seemed almost jealous of Mara’s success with Voldemort- but was doing a great job of hiding it.   
“Now, Mara, I don’t believe we need to remind you again of the importance that you complete the task the Dark Lord has given you. You will be tortured, and killed, along with us and your family. And we will not allow ourselves- us, loyal Death Eaters- to be shamed in such a way,” Ginerva says, both Death Eaters fixing Mara with a steely glare. All traces of pride were gone, and now Mara was forced to prove her loyalty once again.   
“As long as this mark is on my skin, I will complete whatever task I must,” Mara says, pulling up her sleeve as the mark pulses beneath her tanned skin.   
Her reply seemed to satisfy the witches, and they both nodded slowly. After Bellatrix and Ginerva explained to Mara how Voldemort came to power and the importance of the destruction of Harry Potter, Mara was excused to go to bed.   
She paused on the stairs and listened quietly to the rest of their conversation, using a quick charm to make sure she wouldn’t be detected.   
“...’Nerva, I hope you know how big of a risk you are taking… how can we trust her? She may seem like a clever little witch now, and she has bonded herself to the Dark Lord…” Bellatrix hissed, not doing much to lower her voice.   
“Bellatrix, if the Dark Lord has entrusted her with his second-most important task-” Ginerva’s voice was cut off as the sitting room’s doors slammed shut.   
One of the two witches had decided to shut the doors to keep out intruders like Mara.   
Suddenly, Bram thundered down the stairs causing Mara to jump in surprise and guiltily turn around, pretending that she was just going up the stairs. He paused on the step below Mara and looked up at her darkly.   
“I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, little Mara Grimsbane from America,” he growled, frowning angrily before spinning back around and apparating on the spot.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Everything Has Grown by Colouring

The next morning, Mara woke up to a hazy light coming through the only window in the room. She hadn’t unpacked her trunks, because she would only be staying one more night at the Pearce’s house. Her biggest trunk housed her book collection- call her a nerd, but she made sure that nobody knew about them to keep her reputation intact. The books were about topics usually not accounted for in common wizarding libraries, so Mara had a universe of little-known charms, curses, and hexes at her fingertips.   
Mara wasn’t used to sleeping with the dark mark crawling beneath her skin, and her sleep was often disrupted the night before by strange noises coming from different places in the house.  
She sprung out of bed and checked the time: 6:30. She brushed out her dark hair- it was slightly damp and wavy from her shower the night before- and put on makeup before changing into robes, grabbing her wand, and heading downstairs.   
She found the family in the dark dining room, the table much too long for the four people that would be using it, and the decorations were dark and a bit old-looking, but they obviously used to be expensive.   
Alastair was at the head of the table reading a newspaper called the Daily Prophet. Harry Potter, the only name she recognized, was plastered all over it, his unimpressive face grimacing in all of the moving pictures. For the boy who had defeated Voldemort he seemed pretty scrawny.   
Luckily for Mara, it was obvious that breakfast hadn’t been served yet.   
“Welcome, Mara. Have a seat next to Bram,” Ginerva said in her gravelly voice. This morning, her hair was swept into an elegant updo that accented her high cheekbones.   
Mara said nothing and sat down quietly.  
After breakfast, where Mara ate little because of how unappetizing it looked, Mara was brought once again into the parlor, this time with Bram. It seemed that all of the important conversations took place in the parlor.   
“Now, the two of you have a very significant task at hand. Therefore, along with Draco, you need to get to know one another better. I will be sending the three of you to Diagon Alley in order to introduce Mara to the culture at Hogwarts and buy her books and materials. I expect you to return before sundown and not bring any attention to yourselves. We need to keep a low profile until your task is completed.”   
With that, Mara found herself marching through the streets of London yet again, this time following behind a different Pearce. No conversation was made, and Mara found herself almost afraid to break the silence. In no time, they reached the same pub as the day before, apparently called the Leaky Cauldron. They found Draco sitting alone at a table in the corner.   
“So glad the two of you could finally join me. What took you so long? Snogging in the steamy streets of London I suppose?” Draco asked with a sneer, taking on the same sarcastic tone of his aunt Bellatrix.   
Mara was extremely repulsed by the idea. Although Bram was sadly blessed with good looks, he was rude enough to disgust her. “Sadly, no. I’m actually quite looking forward to acting the golden girl of Hogwarts, if you don’t mind, and I can already tell that interacting with Pearce will tarnish my reputation. So why don’t we go do some shopping?”   
Draco smirked and stood up from the table, stretching his long limbs. The shadowy pub accented his jawline, making it look sharp enough to cut through ice.   
Mara tried to ignore the strange stares the three Death Eaters were getting from patrons of the restaurant, which made her slightly wary. She didn’t like being in the spotlight unless she had done something that deserved it.  
Ignoring the strange feeling, Mara pulled her acceptance letter out of her robes and unfolded it. “Books first, then?”   
Suddenly, her letter was ripped out of her grasp by Draco’s gloved hand. “Prefect!” He exclaimed indignantly. “You don’t even attend Hogwarts yet!”   
“If you keep reading, you’ll see that Dumbledore and Snape selected me because of my high grades and excellence in extracurriculars at Ilvermorny,” Mara replied with a slightly smug smile on her lips. “I guess I’m a favorite already.”   
Draco huffed out a breath in annoyance before exclaiming, “Pansy Parkinson won’t be happy about this.”   
“Who is she then? Your girlfriend?” Mara asked incredulously.   
Draco glowered, put back in his place. “Something like that.”   
“And neither am I. I get to share my responsibilities with you instead of Pansy, who was at least slightly tolerable last year,” Bram growled, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his robes as he picks up his speed down the bustling sunlit street.  
“Slightly tolerable?” Draco snorted with a signature sneer. “Her looks, perhaps.”   
The street was even more crowded than the day before, with young witches and wizards in Hogwarts robes and house colors dashing about with books and animals in their arms. The Death Eaters went to Flourish and Blotts first and bought the books they would need.   
As the three were about to leave, they came face to face with Harry Potter and two of his friends, all three looking disgusted at the sight of Draco and Bram.   
“Having a nice afternoon, Potter?” Draco seemed to spit out Potter’s name in disgust.   
“It was better before seeing you, thanks,” Potter replied shortly.   
A girl with bushy brown hair to his left spoke up next, and a red-haired boy next to her stepped a bit closer to her almost protectively as she talked. “You must be the new student from America. My name’s Hermione, this is Ron, and I assume you’ve already heard about Harry,” She said self-confidently, her nose sticking out in the air a bit unattractively.   
Mara internally sneered at her annoying attitude before doing her best to reply kindly, “Yes, hi. My name is Mara Grimsbane.”   
Bram snorted next to her, but Hermione seemed satisfied with her fake nice-girl attitude. “Well, I see you’re not in the best of company. If you ever need help around Hogwarts come find us.”   
Mara made a mental note to definitely not take Hermione up on her offer.   
“What do you mean by that?” Bram growled, stepping forward defensively. Mara instinctively reached out and grabbed his left forearm to pull him back and he hissed in surprise when her hand came in contact with the dark mark through his robes. His dark brown eyes burned through hers and held emotions that she couldn’t quite place her finger on. Her move was effective, though, and he backed off.   
Draco swept out of the shop, closely followed by Mara and Bram.   
Mara heard Harry mumble, “Death Eaters, the lot of ‘em…” and Mara made a mental note to be extra nice to him.   
“How was that for acting?” Mara asked, trying out a smirk of her own.  
“If I didn’t know better I would think you were a traitor,” Bram sneered, walking briskly forward. Draco followed close behind, leaving Mara in the center of the street.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Creep by Damper & Dadoni ft. Ember Island

The young Death Eaters returned to 13 Winchester in even lesser spirits than when they left that morning. The three were practically glowering at each other. But deep down, all three knew that they were connected with a bond that couldn’t be broken, and their subconscious fear of the task ahead was keeping them apart.   
They were ushered in quickly, and as the last to enter, Mara glanced behind her to the dimly-lit street. Hooded figures, probably fellow Death Eaters, were scarce but lurking in the shadows. She locked the door tightly behind her.   
In the entryway, the only light available came from a dimly-lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling three floors up, which casted an eerie shadow on the three masked and hooded Death Eaters who silently greeted them while Ginerva ushered the group downstairs into the cellar. Obviously, the older Death Eaters had arrived just seconds before Mara, Draco, and Bram.   
The stairway was narrow and dank, its walls covered in what could be moss or mold. It was almost impossible to see in the dim wandlight emitting from the seven figures. The only sounds Mara could hear was the distinct sound of heels clipping against wet cobblestones and a faint but steady dripping of water. The staircase seemed to wind down forever until Mara accidentally bumped into Bram’s solid back. He turned around and glared at her. The group had stopped suddenly at the end of the staircase.   
Past the hooded figures, Mara watched Ginerva ceremoniously unlock and open a large wooden door and usher the rest in. They assembled around an ancient circular stone table, and immediately after the door closed after them, the Death Eaters waved their wands around their faces to reveal their identities. The circular room was quite small, and water ran down the sides of the stones and disappeared below the floor, causing the torchlight to glimmer creepily.   
Mara recognized Bellatrix Lestrange, Severus Snape, the latter her Head of House at Hogwarts, and Fenrir Greyback. The third was tall, hairy, and had a pointed face with beady eyes. His grin showed pointed yellow teeth that weren’t quite human. Mara raised her head and locked her jaw in order to show that she wasn’t afraid of them.   
Bellatrix let out a cackle of excitement as her mask melted away. “Welcome to your first assembly as Death Eaters, my children.”   
Greyback bared his teeth and stood up a bit taller, his robe parting a bit to reveal a disgustingly hairy chest. His stance emitted a sense of total power.   
Bellatrix went on to explain that Snape would be helping the trio from inside the castle walls, and herself and Greyback would be available for magical assistance if needed. She then said that she had found an entrance to Hogwarts through a vanishing cabinet located in Knockturn Alley, and she had just been with Snape and Greyback to make sure it operated properly.   
After a few moments of silence, Snape said in his slow, smooth voice, “I have sworn to protect the three of you should anyone come to realize your mission. However, I wish to stay anonymous as my connection with Professor Dumbledore is crucial for the Dark Lord’s plan.”   
After a debriefing from the Death Eaters full of threats, accusations, and cheek-stroking from Bellatrix, the three were sent up to bed like little children.   
The three wound up the mildewy staircase with Malfoy in the lead and Bram in the rear. No conversation was made, of course.   
“I suppose you know how to apparate, Grimsbane?” Pearce asked when the trio reached the foyer.   
Draco snorted, but sobered up when Mara fixed the two with angry glares.   
“I can’t imagine that you would think me an inadequate wizard after I defeated you in a duel, Pearce. And Malfoy, at least I can accept the Dark Mark without crying like a baby. I suggest that the two of you start treating me like an equal. I won’t hesitate to kill the both of you, and you should take me up on my word. I doubt the Dark Lord would blame me for disposing of two pompous dimwits like you. The two of you know nothing about my upbringing and I don’t care about yours; however, we will need to work together for this to protect our own lives. If you don’t want to be friends, fine, but it will make this whole ordeal much easier if you would stop acting like the arrogant purebloods you are,” Mara said angrily. She took a deep breath to calm herself while the two looked on in surprise.   
“Your eyes change colors when you’re angry,” Malfoy said almost dreamily.   
“Shut up, Malfoy,” Mara and Bram said at the same time.   
“So tomorrow, we meet at King’s Cross at 10:30. Sound good?” Mara asked, starting up the stairs without waiting for a reply. She hadn’t expected to have to yell at the boys, but it seemed they gave her no choice.   
She closed the door to her bedroom and stood against it with a sigh, holding her cold hands to the base of her neck. After a few seconds of pointless thought, she shook herself and changed out of her robes into soft sweatpants and a long-sleeved tshirt.   
Mara took all of the things out of her smallest trunk, preparing to make an extension charm so that she would be able to fit all of her things easily. Then, she reloaded everything in manually with books, then her old clothes, and her new clothes and Hogwarts uniforms. She was tucking toiletries and other miscellaneous supplies in the sides of the trunk when she heard a knock at her door that scared her out of her wits.   
She put a hand on her chest and opened the door a crack, then a bit wider when she saw it was just Bram.   
“What do you want?” She whispered hoarsely before pursing her lips in annoyance.   
She couldn’t deny the fact that he was handsome. Sharp, perfectly shaped and proportioned features. And they were especially accented and contoured in the dim light coming from her bedroom.   
“You aren’t going to let me in, then, Grimsbane?” He asked, grinning. Mara could think of multiple ways she could wipe that smirk off his face.   
“Of course not. What. Do. You. Want?”   
He leaned against the doorframe casually, his tall frame filling it. “I just wanted to apologise for the way I’ve acted since you came here. I’m not used to having someone else my age in the house.”   
Mara scoffed. She couldn’t help but think that she was being a bit unfair. “Oh right, of course. The spoiled rich kid who gets everything from mommy and daddy and who can’t handle it when a better wizard than you steals your spotlight. Did they put you up to this?”   
“Maybe. But I really do mean it,” he said, his eyebrows furrowing slightly and his features growing darker as he slanted his head toward her.   
Mara examined his face and realized that he was quite sincere. And then she noticed how close they were, noses barely inches apart, and backed away abruptly.   
“Alright. Truce?” She said, sticking her hand out for him to shake.   
He raised one eyebrow in amusement. “Sure, Grimsbane. Whatever will help you sleep at night. See you tomorrow morning.”   
With that, he disappeared across the hall, slipping into his bedroom quietly and leaving Mara at her door a bit confused.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez

Steam billowed out from beneath the crimson train stationed at platform 9 ¾. Hundreds of students, parents, and their luggage whirled around the three Death Eaters who were hidden in plain sight. The three of them stood observing the families kissing their children goodbye, and gaggles of witches and wizards meeting again for the first time since summer.   
Draco was positioned on Mara’s left and Bram on her right, in their usual formation. There were still twenty minutes before the train was supposed to leave, and Draco and Bram were informing her on the wizarding families to watch for.   
“... and there are the Weasleys. About fifteen of them at this point, but only two left at Hogwarts. You can tell because of the red hair. Blood traitors, all of them. They love muggles, would turn all of them to wizards if it was possible. We already met Ron with Potter and Granger at Diagon Alley, if you remember… And over there, that’s Pansy Parkinson. Watch out for her, she’ll be out to get you for stealing her spot as prefect…”   
As if on cue, Parkinson passed with her parents and stopped before the trio, waving her parents on.   
“Draco, Bram! I missed you so much over the summer! I’m so surprised that you didn’t send me an owl! We’re such good friends, you know!” She said with a sly smirk, stroking the arm of each boy with long acrylic fingernails that better resembled blood-soaked daggers. The two inadvertently moved away from her touch and into Mara, who had to step forward a bit to avoid being crushed.   
“And you.You must be the new prefect. I can’t imagine why they’d replace me with American scum like you. Me, the smartest and most responsible witch in Slytherin,” She said, a snarl on her lips. Mara almost pointed out the lipstick on her teeth, but refrained at the last second.   
“I’m sure the headmaster will be pleased with his decision. I can’t imagine that you have much extra time. I’m sure all of that flawless makeup took hours to put on,” Mara said with a sickly sweet smile, making sure Pansy caught the rude undertone of the otherwise kind words.   
She did.   
Pansy harrumphed, removed her hands from Draco and Bram’s arms, and spun away, calling over her shoulder, “Oh, now I’m absolutely certain that Dumbledore will regret his decision to put an uneducated American like you in a position of leadership!”  
Mara narrowed her eyes at Parkinson’s retreating figure while Bram and Draco let out a simultaneous snort of laughter. They knew full well why it wasn’t a good idea to get on Mara’s bad side. Unlike the two of them, Mara had no qualms about using her wealth of magical knowledge on her enemies.   
“Come on, we should find somewhere to sit before the train gets too crowded,” Draco said when he recovered from his moment of distraction.   
As the compartments were already full and none of the three were looking to cause a scene so early in the school year, the Death Eaters filed onto the train and found a dark booth in the dining car near other Slytherins. Mara and Bram sat on one side with Draco on the other, and the three leaned close together in order to be able to talk privately.   
The train ride was passing rather slowly as the three were unable to talk of anything important for fear that other students would overhear. The only entertainment the three had was Pansy trying-and failing- to cosy up to Blaise Zabini, another Slytherin in their year. She was obviously trying to make Draco and Bram jealous, but was failing miserably.   
Mara often lost track of the useless conversation that Draco and Bram were holding and caught herself staring out the window at the swirling landscape. If she squinted, the blur of green slightly resembled that of the East Coast of America, and the similar journey to Ilvermorny.  
Suddenly, a haze of black, sparkling smoke quickly filled the train car, jerking Mara’s attention away from the landscape. Mara’s and Bram’s hands instantly went to their wands as the occupants of the car shouted in surprise.   
“You call yourselves Death Eaters? It’s obviously just a joke from that shop the Weasley brothers opened up over the summer. Sells stupid candies and things, I believe. Nothing worth Malfoy gold,” Draco sneered, whispering to his companions.   
Mara felt Bram relax next to her, but she was still wary. Why use it now, on the train? She scanned the car a few times, saw nothing but the clearing smoke, and then relaxed after a close inspection.   
Close to the end of the journey while Draco and Bram were chatting aimlessly, Mara’s attention was drawn upwards to the luggage rack above their heads. Something caused the lone bag there to shake suddenly, then everything was still.   
Mara’s squinted, scanning the luggage rack for a sign of something to have caused the noise, and Draco followed her gaze. His eyes narrowed and then lit with recognition. He mouthed I’ll take care of it as the train slowed, finally reaching its destination.   
Bram and Mara filed off the train with Bram, losing Draco’s shape in the doorway of their train car as steam swirled around the students. A large man, probably a half-giant was calling all of the first years at one end of the platform. Bram lead Mara the opposite way to a line of carriages pulled by thestrals. She glanced back to the car they had just vacated to see the curtains slamming shut and smirked, slightly wishing that she was the one taking care of whatever it was that was spying on them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Rock + Roll by Eden

Somewhere during the middle of the sorting ceremony, which Mara found to be quite quick and decisive compared to Ilvermorny’s, Draco slid onto the bench across from Mara and Bram, looking quite pleased with himself. Mara raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head, a gesture that Mara took to mean that he would tell her later.   
After a quite compelling speech given by Dumbledore that Mara pretended to be captivated by, something about dark forces that were penetrating the castle walls and weapons and students, the houses were dismissed to go to their dormitories and instructed to follow their prefects. Mara wasn’t completely listening, but rather closely observing the mannerisms of the headmaster, looking for weaknesses. Although he was calm, serious, and actually quite old, he was obviously well-respected by everyone under the Dining Hall’s enchanted ceiling. Everyone, of course, except herself and perhaps Malfoy and Pearce.   
Mara stood up from the table along with the other Slytherins. Across the room, she caught sight of Potter, Granger, and Weasley waving at every student they walked by and inwardly grimaced. Potter’s nose looked slightly red and there were traces of blood on the collar of his wrinkled shirt. It was obviously hastily or unpracticedly mended with an Episkey charm. She knew immediately who had been spying on herself, Pearce, and Malfoy on the train and quickly searched her memory, hoping that they hadn’t let slip any of their plans.   
“Have fun showing the first years around a school you’ve never been to before, Grimsbane. Let me know when you’re ready to give my title back,” Pansy hissed in Mara’s ear as she sauntered to the Slytherin common room, black-and-emerald robes snapping smartly around her ankles.   
“Just follow the other prefects, you’ll be fine,” Bram said said after she left, placing a hand on Mara’s arm as if to pull her along or perhaps comfort her as the two seventh-year prefects rounded up the first-years and started explaining the importance of the password and boasting about the fact that nobody outside of Slytherin had been in the common room in seven centuries.  
“Yes, that was my plan, but thanks for reminding me. You know how forgetful I am,” Mara bit back, wrenching her arm out of Bram’s grasp. He held up both hands in mock surrender.   
“Have fun finding your way to the common room on your own. Oh, by the way, watch out for moving staircases, ghosts, and Filch. He’s quite nasty, especially on the first day of school,” Bram said with a smirk before striding out of the Great Hall.  
“Are you trying to scare me, Pearce?” she muttered under her breath, knowing that he was too far away to hear her.   
“Come on then, let’s go to the common room,” Draco said, running a hand through his blonde hair and following Bram’s trail. Mara reluctantly fell into step beside him.   
“So, I’ve been thinking that I should get a boyfriend. You know, to help with the whole ‘fitting in’, ‘good girl’ thing,” Mara said, tilting her head to the side to gauge his reaction as the two of of them walked down a stone-floored corridor, dodging students going the opposite way.   
His eyes snapped to Mara’s and one of his eyebrows arched. His only response was, “Oh? Is this your way of asking me out, Grimsbane?”   
“Of course not. Maybe someone from Gryffindor? They seem to be the favorites,” Mara replied darkly with a smirk.   
“You’ve got that right,” He replied shortly with a sly grin.  
“Do you have any suggestions? Any golden boys that would be easily seduced? You know everyone at Hogwarts much better than I do,” Mara replied, gazing up to see students heading to their common rooms via giant moving staircases, chatting with each other and with the characters in the many portraits on the walls of the castle.   
“Oh, I’m sure any old Gryffindor would do the trick. But please, don’t go flirting with Potter. I don’t think Bram could handle that,” He replied as they turn to go down to the dungeons.   
“What does Bram have to do with this?”   
“Oh, I don’t know,” Malfoy said with a smirk that suggested that he definitely did know.   
“Are you suggesting…”  
“I’m definitely not suggesting anything, Grimsbane,” Malfoy said, shaking his head and catching the door to the common room after a few younger students, holding it open for Mara to go through first. “I’m not suggesting anything at all.”   
They entered the common room to find it bustling with Slytherins. Most were streaming up to their dormitories to unpack their belongings, but many were sitting on the couches, gossiping with friends.   
Like Bram, who was looking particularly cozy with Parkinson on an armchair obviously meant for one person. Mara narrowed her eyes at the two of them, and Draco caught her staring.   
“I thought the two of you hated her,” Mara said evenly, trying to suppress the uncalled for jealousy that was threatening to show in her voice. She wasn’t sure quite where it was coming from.   
“Mmm. I suspect that he has ulterior motives,” Draco replied just as evenly, with that same I know something that you don’t smirk from earlier.   
“Ulterior motives? Like what?” Mara pressed, looking away as Bram and her made eye contact. She had a feeling that she knew what ulterior motives he was talking about, but wanted him to say it first.   
Malfoy didn’t answer her question, but instead pointed over to the left. “The girls’ dormitories are up that way and the boys are next to them, so if you need anything…”   
“Right. Thanks, Malfoy,” Mara replied, waving goodnight as she started to walk away.   
Suddenly, she turned back and ran to Malfoy, put a hand on his shoulder, and pressed a kiss to his cheek while hissing, “Just go along with it.”   
Draco did a wonderful job of blushing while Mara hurried up to her dorm, shooting a demure smile in Bram’s direction.   
As Malfoy disappeared to the boy’s dormitory, Bram unclenched his fist, disentangled himself from Parkinson’s clawlike grasp, and stalked out of the Slytherin common room. Even though it wasn’t the sixth year prefects’ night to patrol, he was in the mood to yell at some Gryffindors.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: Save a Little Love by Don Diablo

By Sunday morning, Mara was finally settled into life at Hogwarts. She and Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin in her year, had made some sort of alliance against Parkinson and struck up a kind of friendship.  
She spent the majority of Saturday unpacking, avoiding Bram, and scoping out the Gryffindor male population. Luckily, a certain seventh year named Cormac McLaggen seemed to be taking a liking to her. Apparently, getting a boyfriend would be easier than expected.  
That goal had never been at the top of her priority list at Ilvermorny, but now it was an exciting prospect. She had always been adored and more than slightly feared by her peers for her overwhelming knowledge, insanely high grades, manicured appearance, mysterious aura, and natural quidditch talent. The importance of quidditch seemed to be one of the few things that was shared between Ilvermorny and Hogwarts. The differences were far greater. The number of students at Ilvermorny far overwhelmed that of Hogwarts, probably twenty to one as wizards and witches from all of North America called Ilvermorny home. And the general atmosphere of Ilvermorny was much different thanks to the general architecture, designed more as a sprawling series of buildings over well-manicured grounds than as a looming castle. And, of course, Ilvermorny was much more strict in rules of magic that students could perform. In fact, students weren’t even allowed to take their wands home for school holidays.   
Apart from the difference in schools, though, Mara was quite looking forward to adding the hearts of Gryffindor boys and an acting career to her long list of accomplishments. Unfortunately, pretending to be carefree and generally happy was much more physically demanding than she expected. After one day of it, all she wanted to do was find herself a quiet corner, a book of dark spells, and a cup of tea, and hex anyone who bothered her. Or, in other words, revert back to her general behavior at school in Ilvermorny.   
She dressed in a long-sleeve v-neck dark green shirt and black ripped jeans as always, curled her hair, perfected her makeup, and headed down to breakfast with Daphne.  
“So, we should see Snape first to get our schedules then go to breakfast. The line’ll be too long if we wait,” Daphne said, leading the way to a corridor open to the courtyard.   
Daphne was generally quiet, but obviously intelligent and quite beautiful. Mara had observed Draco’s eyes on her since they were briefly introduced on the train. But other people’s trifles were never her priority.   
The two compared schedules under the September sunshine, then headed to the Great Hall, where they had a quick breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon and apples. Mara was never one for breakfast, or mealtimes in general, but she mixed up her oatmeal and ate slowly anyway.   
“Oh, Daphne, I’m going to head up to the owlry and check on Rue. I haven’t seen her in a few days and I need to send a letter anyway. I'll meet you later,” Mara said as they exited the Great Hall. She didn’t really have to send a letter, but she wanted to be free of Daphne for a little while. As nice as it was to have a friend, it seemed that Daphne was a bit needy.  
“Of course! I’ll see you later!” Daphne replied, turning to head back to the common room. Mara breathed a sigh of relief, then headed up a few flights of stairs. Not to the owlry, but to the library.  
Turning a corner, she suddenly slammed right into someone tall wearing Gryffindor robes. Mara automatically turned on her fake megawatt smile, ready to make a new friend. She felt two hands on her arms, holding her steady, and suppressed the urge to hex them off of her.  
But then she looked up into the insanely handsome face of Cormac McLaggen and automatically went into full-on flirt mode.  
"Hi, I'm so sorry, but I don't think we've met. I'm Mara Grimsbane," Mara said perkily, staring up into McLaggen's green eyes.  
He smirked cockily and raised an eyebrow, saying, "McLaggen, Cormac McLaggen. You must be the new student from America. I must say, Americans are much more beautiful than I would've imagined."  
Mara had to admit that his accent was much more attractive than Draco's or Bram's. She brushed a hair behind her ear before replying with a simple "thank you" and a practiced blush.  
"Hey, I need to get down to eat breakfast. Do you want to come with me?" He asked, tracing circles on Mara's arms with his thumbs and leaning a little closer.  
"Oh, I just ate, but I'll definitely go back with you," Mara replied, grinning up at him and leaning in a bit, just to see what he would do.   
He stared down at her lips, and then his green eyes flicked to hers.  
Suddenly, Mara pulled back a bit and laced her arm through his, pulling him in the direction of the Great Hall. He seemed a bit put off, but smiled playfully back at her and the two of them chatted aimlessly all the way to the Great Hall.  
They sat together at the Gryffindor table and received a few pointed glances at her being Slytherin, but soon Mara had the whole Gryffindor intrigued by stories about Ilvermorny.  
"Wait, so you're telling me that you weren't allowed to have your wand over holiday? You had to leave it at school?" A boy named Seamus in Mara's year asked, absolutely disgusted.  
"And you couldn't have any pets other than owls?" A quiet boy named Neville asked as he stroked his toad protectively.  
Mara laughed at their shock and continued answering questions. Suddenly, she felt Cormac wrap an arm around her waist and whisper in her ear, "Want me to show you around a bit?”   
Mara nodded and the two left the Gryffindor table with a wave and promises to visit later.   
As they walked out the doors and followed the path to the Black Lake, Cormac laced his fingers with Mara's silently. Mara was quite surprised that finding a boyfriend- much less such an attractive one- would be so easy. Sure, she had been warned of McLaggen's reputation with girls, but it wasn't like she had any intention of falling in love with him. If anything, she would be the one playing with him. She was quite invigorated by this game of breaking his heart before he broke hers.   
It was a beautiful day- warm, but not hot, and sunny. It was almost nice to be able to lose yourself in conversation without having to worry about anything else. It reminded Mara of life America her first few years of school. The two stopped by a tree next to the black lake, away from some of the other couples and groups of students.  
Suddenly, Cormac grabbed her waist and pressed his lips to hers. Mara was surprised at the suddenness of it all, but his lips felt nice against hers. She wound her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair, smiling into the kiss.  
Now, Mara may not have had time for a steady boyfriend, but that certainly didn't mean that she didn't enjoy a good shag every once in a while, especially if the guy was hot enough.  
Cormac pulled away after a few seconds and said against her lips along with a sly wink, "Sorry, that was a bit unexpected. But I noticed you last school year when you visited, and I couldn't let anybody else get to you first."  
Mara grinned against his lips before pulling him back down to kiss her again. He responded eagerly, pulling her tighter against his hips and pushing her back against the tree. He bent down a bit to kiss her harder, and so that she wouldn't have to strain to meet his height.  
Across the lawn, on the Hogwarts steps, Bram watched the two going at it while Pansy pulled against his arm, begging for attention. He couldn't help but wish it was Mara with him instead. Or, rather, he wished it was him kissing Mara rather than McLaggen. He shook his head at the stupid thought and turned his attention to Pansy, the one girl he could have.  
At the same time, Mara couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be kissing Bram instead. But the thought passed as quickly as it came when Cormac started kissing down her neck, sucking on a spot right behind her ear that made her knees go weak and her eyes flutter closed again.


End file.
